I predict a rioter

THUGS held in the August riots were part of a feckless criminal underclass —
with one in eight on DISABILITY benefits, figures reveal.

Of the 1,984 rioters in the dock, 260 were on handouts for being unfit to
work, the Ministry of Justice said yesterday.

A huge 76 per cent had criminal records, while more than a third were on some
kind of benefit.

The figures revealing a typical rioter’s profile came as Scotland Yard
revealed the cost of the London riots alone could hit £300MILLION.

Excluded

The figure dwarfs earlier estimates that the London bill would be £74million —
with the national cost £133million.

Just over half of those said to have contributed to the huge cost were under
20 — with a quarter aged ten to 17, yesterday’s figures showed. Only five
per cent were over the age of 40.

One in three of the youngsters had been excluded from school in the previous
year.

And child rioters were more than twice as likely to be on free school meals —
and had worse results at school.

Analysis by the Ministry of Justice also revealed in some areas high numbers
of black people were held for unrest.

In Nottingham, nine per cent of the population is black — but the group made
up 62 per cent of those appearing in court in the city.

Nationally, 46 per cent of rioters in court were black, 42 per cent white,
seven per cent Asian and five per cent classed as “other”. Of the 76 per
cent with a criminal record, the average amount of previous convictions was
14.

One in five rioters in London was a gang member, while the figure nationally
was 13 per cent.

The Home Office said gangs “generally did not play a pivotal role” in the
violence.

A staggering 5,326 crimes were recorded during the riots — including 664
muggings.

More than 2,500 shops and 230 homes were targeted.

Last night Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy said: “These figures are about
the workless poor. In some areas communities are hit harder.

“In Tottenham, unemployment is around 20 per cent. But among the
Afro-Caribbean community it is a third higher again.”

Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said: “For many
people rioting, that week was a rejection of the future laid out for them.”